Dr. Mukhtar stated that he had discussed the issue with the IMF delegation and that the IMF had also supported the creation of a non-lapsable fund for universities.
Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman of Pakistan’s Education Commission (HEC), stated that the basic pay scale (BPS) and tenure track system (TTS) systems would not be able to coexist and that the HEC was working to introduce the University Pay Scale, a uniform system for the appointment of teachers at universities.
On Wednesday, he spoke at a seminar on the “Impacts of HEC Policies on University Faculty,” hosted by the Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) at Al Raazi Hall. FAPUASA Punjab and PUASA President Prof Dr Azhar Naeem, Secretary ASA Dr Amjad Abbas Khan Magsi, and a large number of teachers from various departments were present on this occasion.
He stated that discussions were taking place in this regard and that the HEC would benefit from the suggestions sent by PUASA. He stated that after the initial draught of the university pay scale system was completed, stakeholders would be involved in finalising the policy and incorporating their suggestions. He stated that the HEC would establish new KPIs for teacher performance and appointment in order to improve educational quality.
He stated that there were some flaws in the undergraduate policy implementation system. He stated that new undergraduate and PhD policies were being revised and that stakeholders were being consulted. The government intended to direct universities to deposit their funds with the State Bank, and if this policy were implemented, universities would face serious financial difficulties.
Dr. Mukhtar stated that he had discussed the issue with the IMF delegation and that the IMF had also supported the creation of a non-lapsable fund for universities. However, some federal government departments wanted to deliberately implement a policy that was completely unacceptable to universities and would seriously harm the financial affairs of higher learning institutions.
He stated that beginning in January 2023, universities will be required to keep their money in the State Bank and will be paid after sending the State Bank the details of their expenses. After June 30, any funds remaining in the universities’ accounts will be transferred to the government, and this policy was never feasible for the universities in the first place. He claimed that the quality of education in affiliated colleges was very low because there was no monitoring system in place.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad stated that ad hocism was harming the university system and that the universities could not progress until governance issues were addressed.
He called converting a BA or BSc to an associate degree a big mistake. Dr. Azhar Naeem stated that educational institutions’ autonomy would not be compromised. In his speech, he also presented the Charter of Demand. Dr. Amjad Magsi thanked the chairman for putting stakeholders’ interests first in policy development.